No Paw to Stand On

Bookmobile Cat Mystery #12

by Laurie Cass

There’s no rest for the whiskered as librarian Minnie Hamilton and her rescue cat, Eddie, have to investigate a poisoning—and a murder—in the newest installment of the national bestselling Bookmobile Cat Mysteries.

When a heat wave hits northern Michigan, Minnie, Eddie, and their bookmobile head to the beach to catch some rays and some customers. But library business is put on hold when Minnie’s restaurant-owning best friend, Kristen, calls. The specialty ice cream cone treat she'd been serving to patrons was sabotaged, making some customers horribly sick. Kristen needs Minnie to sniff out the culprit fast, or the restaurant's reputation will be destroyed forever.

Minnie and Eddie are hot on the tail of the suspect when an employee from another restaurant is found dead. Could the poisoning and the murder be related? It’ll take a feline to catch a felon...

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Cozy, Audiobook, Fiction, Animals, Cats

Audible Audio

First published August 6, 2024

About the author

Laurie Cass is the national bestselling author of the Bookmobile Cat Mysteries, including Wrong Side of the Paw, Cat With a Clue, and Pouncing on Murder. She lives on a lake in northern Michigan with her husband and two cats.

Reviews

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Minnie Hamilton, bookmobile librarian extraordinaire and part-time amateur sleuth, is preparing her for her wedding when she is tasked with finding out what happened at her best friend's restaurant. Several people have gone to the hospital and Minnie suspects a poisoning but happens when one of the suspects turns up dead? Minnie has to figure it out while finding the person vandalizing the library, investigating the bad reviews being left all over town, and planning her wedding.

I had an excellent time reading this book. I love getting to visit with the town of Chilson. Minnie is such a fun character to read about and the mystery was so entertaining. I really enjoyed that there were multiple mysteries happening at once. But I do have to say, it was a little easy to figure out and I felt like Kristen's personality shift was never quite explained or resolved to my satisfaction so I deducted half a star for that. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes cozy mysteries and people who just like reading a nice cozy book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing Group, and Laurie Cass for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC. All opinions are my own.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

This series has grown on me and I am really enjoying the quaint setting and fun characters. Minnie, however, gets on my nerves, possibly because we deal with stress and anxiety differently. When I need to get something done, something pressing, I do it. I don’t do everything but because I want to get it off my list. I also don’t investigate the death of someone I don’t know and a poisoning that my best friend continually asks me to leave alone. Other than that, the mystery itself was interesting and I loved visiting this small town in Michigan again.

[Susan Reads Cozies · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always love a good Eddie Mrrr in this series. The conversations between Minnie and Eddie are always my favorite. It reminds me of myself talking to my cats.
 
The storyline started different than the previous books but it works well. It made the story more interesting. We did not get to see a lot of Hal Inwood in this one and it made me wonder why. A part of me did want to know why Kristen was a little distant when Minnie was trying to help solve the mystery of the ice cream cones. It just seemed a bit off considering we have seen Kristen’s dominating personality in previous books.
 
I love how the endings wrap up with this series. Minnie always has me guessing how she will get out of the situations she finds herself in.
 
 
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy in exchange for my review.

[Syn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so cute! I need more cozy murder mysteries featuring cats in my life. I loved how the main character talks to her cat in this and how the cat basically saves the day. An addictive read that would be best experienced under a blanket, with a mug of some type of delicious hot beverage, and a furry friend beside you.

[Sue Em · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25⭐
What's not to love? A bookmobile. A cat. And a curious librarian who can't help herself from getting involved. One month out from her upcoming wedding, Minnie sets out to find out who poisoned the waffle cones her best friend gives out at her restaurant. Even when asked not to. The cast of beloved characters are all there and the mystery will keep you engaged.

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[Paul Lunger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Laurie Cass's "Bookmobile Cat Mystery" series has been one of the most consistent and well thought out series in the cozy cat genre of mystery. The 12th entry in this series "No Paw to Stand On" is no different as we the reader once again are returned to Northern Michigan with this cast of characters we know and love so well. The primary mystery in this book involves the poisoning of customers of Minnie Hamilton's friend Kristen's restaurant with some ice cream cones that she's been selling as a treat. When another restaurant chef also turns up murdered, the question becomes are these related and why. Additionally, we have vandalism problems with the library & the question of Minnie & Rafe not having an officiant for their wedding. Cass does her masterful job of continuing to make these characters believable as every step of the way & with each clue we get closer to finding a killer and a moment we the reader have been waiting for as well. The book can be a bit slow at first from a storytelling standpoint but once it hits its groove, we the reader will be transported to a stunning ending that will take your breath away & an epilogue that absolutely fits this series. Very, very well done as this reader awaits the next book in this series.

[Randee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great series and one of my favorites. Suggestion to the author: since Minnie is a librarian, I think it would be interesting to know from time to time what book she is reading!

[Mary Tonks · Rating 5 out of 5]

As Minnie and Rafe's nuptials approach, Chilton is plagued by a series of tragic events involving Three Seasons restaurant, and several other "high end" establishments. Due to Kristen's place being on the "hit list", Minnie has to take on solving the crimes. Not impossible to read as a stand alone, but it does help to have prior knowledge of all the characters.

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75⭐️

[K Whatsherface · Rating 3 out of 5]

I almost didn't read this right away because when my library said it was in, I was really paying that much attention and got it confused for a book in different book themed cozy mystery series. I didn't mean to get into so maybe book themed cozies. When I started cozies, I was reading paranormal ones. This just kind of happened. But it's cute. I enjoyed it and I got the murderer

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I still can’t get enough of this library themed cozy series with perhaps the most intelligent cat ever. This installment was a flurry of activity with only a few weeks until Minnie and Raff’s wedding, vandalism at the library, a serious drama surrounding her BFFs restaurant and, of course, a murder. Poor Minnie needs a vacation after this, I hope she and Rafa go on a relaxing honeymoon.

The one part of the book that struck me the most was Kristen’s character. She just had twins and is trying to run her restaurant while taking care of two fresh infants. The author tried to show Kristen as frazzled but to me it seemed like she was suffering from post partum depression. I don’t know if that’s the author’s intent or not, but I hope things calm down for Kristen in the next book as well.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy this series! I read more for updates on the characters than the actual mysteries. Minnie is getting to that place of being a little too noisy, but this is still a series I like reading. Looking forward to the next one!

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cannot believe Minnie’s reign of terror on the sheriff’s dept is over. Cannot believe a whole wedding finally happened. Cannot believe no one recognizes the true extent of Eddie’s genius and manipulation.

[Chaitra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not a fan of Minnie finding herself in physical danger at the end of the book, but considering I read this series for Eddie and his interactions with the people around him, this book delivered in spades. I can't wait for the next Eddie book.

[OpenBookSociety.com · Rating 5 out of 5]

https://openbooksociety.com/article/n...

Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Jeanie


Hamilton is an assistant library director and manages the bookmobile in Chilson, Michigan. She is one of my all-time favorite librarians and cat ladies; it is always a joy to open a new cozy mystery in this series. Minnie and her fiancé Rafe are putting the final touches on their wedding plans, with no time to devote to solving criminal shenanigans. Helping the sheriff’s office solve murders keeps Minnie and Eddie on their toes in this summer tourist town. Eddie is the feline that adopted her shortly after she moved to Chilson, and she confides almost everything in him. This dynamic duo’s photo could be in an illustrated dictionary of idioms for “love me, love my cat”.

One thing I appreciate about this novel is how well the author demonstrates Minnie, Eddie, her fiancé Rafe, and all other characters through realistic conversations and behaviorsMinnie . They grow and change as most people do while their basic characteristics remain the same. Minnie still believes she has the very best job in the world. Minnie converses with Eddie to help her work through challenges, even though most of his responses are Mrrr. I enjoy Minnie’s game, when the library is closed and silent, of listening to her favorite literary characters talk throughout the stacks. Not to be outdone, the director, Graydon, demonstrates his sense of humor even through the stress of recent vandalism at the library.

It was a hot, humid August day when the A/C on the bookmobile stopped working, so when Minnie got a desperate call from her best friend, Kristen, they finished their work early. The new mom of twins and owner of an upscale local restaurant could usually handle anything but today, she sounded as if she lost her last friend. Kristen’s restaurant staff had just called to tell her that a new treat they began to serve had gone horribly wrong. On hot days, they offered ice cream in gluten-free waffle cones to customers as they left. Cones were made from a recipe Kristen designed. So far, eight people that afternoon had gotten ill, two seriously enough to go to the hospital. She called the health department, devastated and worried that she would get shut down or worse, lose the restaurant she had poured herself into for several years.

Three Seasons would, indeed, be shut down for the course of the investigation. Minnie is determined to make this better for her best friend. Shouldn’t it be much easier and safer to solve than a murder? After learning of two people who might dislike Kristen enough to make patrons ill and ruin her business, Minnie was ready to roll. When she visited Cherise, the manager of another upscale restaurant, they got into a heated argument until Minnie saw the just-murdered body of Remi, Cherise’s key staff member, in the back room.

Kristen no longer wanted Minnie to be involved in any way to discover what, or who, went wrong with the ice cream cones. Kristen was not herself, acting as if all the fight had gone out of her. Negative online reviews hit most restaurants and smaller eateries throughout Chilson. An embittered former restaurateur staged a one-man protest against Kristen’s restaurant, and tourists were concerned about where to eat.

During the investigation Minnie continued to secretly conduct, several challenges arose. The minister who was going to officiate her and Rafe’s wedding had an accident that prevented him from doing so and they couldn’t find an available replacement. Kristen, exhausted from the demands of two infants, learned that a poison had been in the ice cream waffle cones. When the health department allowed her to re-open Three Seasons, very few patrons returned. Minnie and her trusty feline sidekick, Eddie, were at a loss of how to help Kristen.

There were enough suspects to keep me guessing throughout. One consideration was whether the poisoning at Kristen’s restaurant and the murder of a key staff member at the other restaurant were connected. Thankfully, Rafe and Minnie are a perfect team, as he, like Eddie, is a good listener. When she gets too intensely involved with a case, his support and sense of humor are life savers. The end was more than satisfactory after every challenge had been resolved, and Eddie did his part to help his human when it seemed all was lost. I highly recommend this cozy mystery and its series to those who love cozy mysteries, libraries, cats, long-time friendships, and romance.

[Jae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Minnie's wedding is fast approaching and causing stress, and her anxiety rises when her BFF, Kristen, calls to report that several people fell ill after eating at her restaurant. She wants Minnie to see if she can figure out what happened. Eager to help, Minnie dives in. When other restaurants in the town of Chilson begin getting terrible reviews, she wonders if there's a connection. Things come to a head when an employee of one of the restaurants is murdered in the kitchen. Now the police are investigating fully, but Minnie finds herself unable to drop her own investigation. In the meantime, there have been acts of vandalism at the library, and the officiant for Minnie and Rafe's wedding had an accident and will not be able to marry them. Minnie is being pulled in several directions as she tries to figure out what's going on with the restaurants in town, who's vandalizing the library, and who is going to perform her wedding ceremony.

With so much going on, the plot was fast-paced and kept my interest. Reading about familiar characters was charming, and Minnie's cat, Eddie, was being his usual funny self. That's what I liked. What I didn't like...SPOILERS!!!
- How many dead bodies can one woman stumble over?! I am so tired of that particular cozy mystery trope. Why not have your main character find out someone was murdered? Why must she always be the one to find the body? Give it a rest!
- I didn't like that Kristen went from whining to Minnie to help her to getting snippy and telling Minnie off because she was...still helping her. WTF, Kristen?
- The killer was fairly easy to guess.
- Once again, our intrepid heroine is almost killed by the killer at the end of the book. By my count, this is a dozen times that she's narrowly escaped death at the hands of a murderer. The tension is exciting; I get it. But you know what? After so many times, it becomes BORING. I was not surprised when the killer showed up to confront Minnie, because I was expecting it to happen. Have your mc put the clues together, notify the police, then find out the next day that an arrest was made. Maybe it's not as thrilling, but it is more realistic.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story, but I fervently wish the author would let go of so many tired tropes. Might have given this five stars, but I'm deducting one for the cookie-cutter, trope-laden formula. Four stars it is.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been reading this series since Book 1 first came out. No Paw to Stand On is the 12th book in the Bookmobile Cat cozy mystery series.

I love this series and eagerly await each new book. But, with that, I also have to say that I miss the earlier feel of the series when Minnie lived on her houseboat and there was much more Eddie (the cat) in the books. As I listened to the audio book of this book, I found myself thinking that I'd really really like much less Rafe and talk of a wedding and a lot more sleuthing and Eddie instead. The wedding angle is getting old. Just get married already....

Ok....my curmudgeon moment is over.

This time, Minnie is investigating a string of attacks on local restaurants after her best friend's restaurant gets closed down after waffle cones served at Kristin's business make several people sick. When an employee at another business in town is found murdered, things get much more dire. Why is someone targeting restaurants in Chilson? With the crimes getting much more serious, Minnie and her crew of friends are on the case to catch a killer.

I listened to the audio book version of this story (Tantor Media, 9 hrs 34 min, narrated by Erin Bennett)

I enjoyed the audio. Erin Bennett has a pleasant voice and does a great job with Eddie's Mrrrrr moments. :)

The plot kept my attention from start to finish, with occasional grumblings when wedding planning interrupted the main plot too many times. There were a couple main characters that were acting oddly throughout this story as well. I kept waiting for Minnie to say something, as it got a bit aggressive. It definitely kept me glued to the plot because I was really wondering what was going on.

I don't really care for Rafe (Minnie's fiance). He makes odd comments to Minnie and makes fun of her a bit too much. At one point in the book he tells her it's time for her to go to bed and shuts her laptop while she's doing research. Pulled me right out of the story. I just don't like the character and I find his behavior at times obnoxious.

Eddie was his usual lovely self. Mrrrrr.

The constant romance angle this series is taking is starting to make me enjoy these books less and less. I find Rafe condescending and almost abusive at times. Yuck.

I still love this series....and I'm moving on to my review copy of the next book!! Yay! But.....less Rafe/romance....more sleuthing/Eddie....I hope. :)

[T K Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

First the bad:
1) Why do some authors try make reading a cozy like practicing for a vocabulary test? The Cat in the Stacks series has always done it. Now Minnie is throwing out words like atavistic, Sisyphean and referencing Voynich manuscript. Is this new or have I just ignored it before? Yes we can interpret what they mean but it absolutely takes the reader out of the story. And for what purpose?

2) Then there’s Eddie. I know everyone loves Eddie. But he’s not Lassie. He’s a cat. For him to once again track down the in-peril Minnie is far from realistic. But it’s come to be expected so it is what is.

3) And finally the author obviously thinks her euphemism for short is clever. We get it. Vertically efficient. So funny. But even during the showdown with the murderer it’s mentioned that an efficient sized human can hide behind a big rock. Please. We get it. Minnie is five feet tall. One or maybe two mentions is really enough.

The good:
The characters themselves are a joy. Readers have watched them grow and evolve. Can’t think of one that is unpleasant now that the previous library director has been replaced. Would love to have to dinner with any one of them. Continue to appreciate how the author writes relationships in a way that feels genuine.

The story here was well developed with lots of possibilities of whodunit, each with a feasible reason. Minnie had an almost legitimate purpose to involve herself and she avoided putting herself in danger. Except for maybe her questionable decision at the end.

Kristen’s weird behavior didn’t seem to ever be fully explained. Her attitude was such a central part of the story throughout that to gloss over it was odd.

As much as I am always annoyed by Eddie’s superhero antics, I will be waiting to read the next.

[Priscilla · Rating 3 out of 5]

After having reading a few heavy, dark psychological thrillers I was looking forward to a light, cute mystery and that’s exactly what this was.

No Paw To Stand On is the 12th in a series but I didn’t feel that I needed to have read the previous books to know what was going on. I will say is that there were A LOT of side characters to keep track of.

This book reminded me of one of those Hallmark Movies And Mysteries movies, in the best way. I happen to love Hallmark so that was great. It was very simple and not dark at all. Even the murder was pretty light. The characters weren’t really fully fleshed and you didn’t get a good grasp on them or their backstory. Normally I wouldn’t like that in a book but it was fine to me in this one.

While I wouldn’t say this was a page turner, it was interesting enough to keep my attention. Even being a mystery I just felt very warm and cozy when reading this. All in all this was a nice palate cleanser and I did enjoy reading it.

Thank you Net Galley and Berkley Publishing Group for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

[Susan Johnston · Rating 4 out of 5]

It has been a while since I read a book in this series and I think I will have to go back and catch up. It is not that I needed the backstory to understand the current one. It is just I realized how much I enjoyed Eddie and his human Minnie. Eddie, the bookmobile cat, may not have a vast vocabulary and Minnie often struggles to understand him (she is a mere human) but he is a good guy to have in your corner as Minnie discovers when she is in danger.

She is getting married soon but her wedding takes a back seat to investigating- first a poisoning that might ruin best friend Kristen’s restaurant and then a murder that might or might not be connected. Nothing is going to stop her from helping her friend, even when Kristen tells her to stop. She does not go out of her way to get into dangerous situations but she is persistent. Even before she twigs, the killer thinks she knows more than she does. And that can be perilous. Cue Eddie. He is not going to let his human down.

I enjoyed the read and give it four purrs and two paws up.

[Darla Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

A heat wave has hit northern Michigan so librarian Minnie and her cat, Eddie, take the bookmobile to the beach. But things are put on hold when her best friend's restaurant is sabotaged as the specialty ice cream cones they'd been serving are making people sick. Then someone from another restaurant is murdered and Minnie believes they're connected. Can she and Eddie prove it and find the killer?

I've really enjoyed this series and this book's no exception. This fun read was well-written and the characters were wonderful. I was hooked on this captivating story and kept hooked from start to finish. The mystery was intriguing with lots of twists and turns. I loved this book and am looking forward to the next one. I highly recommend both book and series which I believe is best read in order.

[Marit · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️⭐️ It’s always enjoyable to catch up with Minnie (Minerva Joy) Hamilton, her fiancé, Rafe Niswander, and their bookmobile cat, Eddie in Chilson, Michigan. It’s high summer and everyone is feeling the heat and humidity. In this instalment of the cosy mystery series Minnie becomes involved when her best friend’s restaurant is the scene of food poisoning. Later she finds a restaurant worker dead from a knife wound. The library where she works also begins to be the scene of vandalism. Minnie feels she needs to help her friend, despite being asked not to. I did find Kristen, her best friend, somewhat overbearing at times, but overall it was a good read with a large cast of characters and several potential suspects.

[L.M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this series but the books are just a bit too long. This book dragged due to having a lot of kind of unnecessary stuff added in. Again, we got a lot of info on how Minnie can’t feed herself. Though she was less helpless in this book than in the last one, it still was a bit much. There was also a LOT of speculation about Kristen’s behavior, which was one of the main plot points but went unaddressed at the end. The mystery was kind of disappointing to me because the clues to what happened just weren’t there and when it came to the perpetrator there was no twist. I was also disappointed with the resolution of the restaurant reviews. That was another big part of the plot that turned out to be nothing in the end. I do love Eddie though and how he always manages to be a hero!

[Jeanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

No Paw to Stand On is book #12 in the Bookmobile Cat Mystery series by Laurie Cass.

It was such a treat to catch up with Minnie, Eddie, family and friends. Minnie is so relatable to me as I have the same type of discussions with my cats. The characters are wonderful. I like how they are there to help each other. The mystery was interesting and kept me guessing until the end. Definitely an intense wrap-up! The ending was so sweet and it brought tears to my eyes. I recommend this book.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

[Lois Rotella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Minnie is assistant head librarian in northern Michigan. She getting ready for her marriage time Rafe the principal of the middle school. Minnie drives the bookmobile with her cat Eddie. Her best friend Kristian runs a restaurant and recently some customers got sick on her ice cream cones. Minnie is going to help her find out who did something to her cones. In the mean time a waitress at another restaurant was murdered and Minnie found her. So with all that us happening Minnie is going to find the answers. The book keeps you going and why would the murderer do all these thing. Great story and want books of Minnie,Safe and Eddie.

[Jane Irish Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

At a time when she should be preparing for her wedding, Minnie Hamilton instead finds herself in the midst of not one, but two mysteries. First, who is vandalizing the library property? Second, who used triticale in Kristen gluten-free waffle cones, sending several customers to the hospital? And that is only the beginning. Not only does Kristen's restaurant have issues, so do others in town, with copious bad reviews appearing online. While talking to Cherise, another restaurant owner, Minnie discovers a murder victim. Now she really needs to help the police investigate, while at the same time trying to find a replacement officiant for her wedding.

[Jeanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a series I consistently enjoy for its characters, the library setting (even though most of the action now takes place away from the library), and Eddie the cat. This is a good entry in the series, but probably not one to start with since it has the main character finally marrying her love-- and there were other loves before she settled on this one. Also it really helps to know some of the characters. Anyway, there was the obligatory Minnie in jeopardy and has to save herself scene near the end which I usually skim and the info dump saving for the last few pages to tell us whodunit. But as I said, I like the characters so I'm willing to give it a pass.

[Cheryll · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes it's nice to relax and read a romantic murder mystery ;-)
Something about a bookmobile brings back childhood memories of reading everything you could get at the library!
The librarian, Minnie is surrounded by the town of Chilton friends and her fiance' as well as her favorite feline, Eddie. Once again it's Eddie to the rescue as Minnie chases down a killer who threatens to get the best of her :-o
After many editions of this series, is the wedding going to happen even without a minister? I hope not to wait too long for the next book!

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed being back with these familiar people. I appreciate the reader's skill on the audiobook, particularly the personality & attitude she puts into Eddie's "mrrr's"! 😊 At least this time our heroine doesn't end up phone-less in a crisis thru carelessness, but thru the villain's actions; I think that's an improvement over forgetting the phone, forgetting to charge the phone, or thinking she didn't need it.